1. Field of the Invention
The present invention provides a conventional portable cellular phone modified to incorporate a security alarm, radio receiver and other functions.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The portable cellular phone has found wide public acceptance since its commercial introduction. The ease in which communications between the user and the call recipient can be accomplished has extended its use in areas not heretofore contemplated. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,555,286 to Tendler discloses a cellular phone system in which the cellular phone is utilized for transmitting signals in natural speech, the signals indicating the position of a vessel, vehicle or an individual upon system activation from the cellular phone keyboard or from a remote source. U.S. Pat. No. 5,043,736 to Darnell et al. discloses a device that can be used as a cellular telephone and portable global position system and provides latitude and longitude information to a base unit display; U.S. Pat. No. 5,081,667 to Drori et al, discloses a system for integrating cellular communication systems with vehicle security systems; U.S. Pat. No. 5,515,043 to Berard et al, which utilizes a cellular phone handset in a system for tracking the position of a vehicle, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,515,419 to Sheffer discloses a system for tracking a portable or mobile phone and include means for generating an emergency signal on detection of an emergency condition and transmitting the emergency signal to a remote monitoring station. The Sheffer system includes a portable phone unit which is similar to a conventional portable phone but which incorporates the hardware or software necessary to generate and transmit the necessary emergency signal should the user push the panic button.
The above patents disclose various forms of position locating/alarm systems utilizing cellular phones and while useful for the functions they disclose, are beyond the financial resources of the average consumer. However, the portability of cellular phones and the fact that the phones and the connection service therefor are relatively inexpensive, makes the cellular phone system useful for other, less expensive functions. For example, a cellular phone user may be travelling and want a separate alarm system placed in his/her hotel room. Or the user desires to have a radio receiver associated within the phone housing so that radio programs could be heard when the telephone is not in use. Other functions capable for use with the cellular phone but not currently available include the capture and storage of images and audio signals.
What is thus desired is to provide a multi-function, portable cellular phone modified to incorporate in a first embodiment an alarm sensor, and an image capture and storage device in the same housing, a second embodiment incorporating an AM/FM radio receiver, the cellular phone, in both embodiments, being activated by keyboard or by voice control, activation of the cellular phone causing the automatic dialing of a pre-coded phone number, such as an emergency service (police) and home.